


Tony Replaces Bucky's Arm (And Everybody's Up In Arms About It)

by JacarandaBanyan



Series: Tony Stark Bingo [10]
Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Couch Cuddles, Established Relationship, M/M, News Media, Press Conferences, Press and Tabloids, Prompt Fill, Social Media, Tony Stark Bingo 2018, Tony Stark Replaces Bucky's Arm, Tony may have to give a press conference, alternate arm replacements, but it was Bucky's idea all along, but no one can force him to stay on topic, everyone thinks Tony's up to something nefarious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 23:29:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16670446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JacarandaBanyan/pseuds/JacarandaBanyan
Summary: Bucky asks Tony to make some modifications to the arm that end up catching a lot of media attention. In his exasperation, Tony sidesteps the issue entirely.





	Tony Replaces Bucky's Arm (And Everybody's Up In Arms About It)

**Author's Note:**

> Tony Stark Bingo Square: S2, Christine Everhart
> 
> I'm not satisfied with this one but I've been worrying at it and not changing anything for too long, and because of midterms I can't really take the time to expand it, so here it is. I may eventually come back to this, but for now it is done.

“Hey Tony, I was thinking. If you’re going to make me a new arm, why make it exactly like the first one?”

Tony held his hand over his heart dramatically. “Oh, such hurtful words! To think that even you honestly believe that I’d make you anything so crude and sadistic as that torture tool HYDRA passed off as a prosthetic!”

“Ha ha, very funny. I meant the look. I don’t want to go with the Soviet-bleak, depressed grey with a highlight of blood red design scheme the second time around. I didn’t really want to go with it the first time around, either, but this time I actually get to voice my opinions to the engineer.”

Tony glanced at the original arm where it lay on the bench, half-dissected and slightly mangled near the top from when they’d had a bit of trouble removing it from Bucky’s body. Even cleaned up and partially disassembled, it still sent a little chill through him to look at it. It was almost like looking at a guillotine blade in a museum. The echoes of death clung to it.

“Gotcha. Okay, did you have anything particular in mind? Sunshine and rainbows? An adult-sized barbie arm? A sort of sleeve tattoo design? A nanobot tentacle that will wave around in horrifying detachment from the rest of your body, as though it’s an entirely different organism that has taken root on your stump?”

Bucky smiled. “Those are all good ideas, and I want to try all of them out. But yes, I did actually have something specific in mind for now.”

Tony smiled and leaned forward on his elbows. 

“Do tell.”

* * *

_ Old Tensions Brewing? _

_ Tony Stark and Bucky Barnes were spotted leaving Stark Tower together, hand in metal hand. However, Bucky Barnes wasn’t sporting the now-infamous Winter Soldier prosthetic, but an Iron Man arm exactly like the ones on Tony Stark’s suits. While both Stark and Barnes have been unavailable for comment, many speculate that this could be a Stark’s way of marking his territory.  _

_ In the months since the heavily-amended Sokovia Accords passed, it seemed like tensions between Captain America, who was vocal in his suspicion towards the motives behind key clauses, and Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, who supported the Accords in the name of public safety following a string of highly-publicized incidents in which Avengers members caused widespread property destruction and public danger and violated the sovereignty of several foreign nations while attempting to subdue a threat. These tensions were exasperated by a quickly-uncovered plot to pin an assassination at the UN Accords meeting on Bucky Barnes, long lost friend and brainwashed assassin who had recently escaped from HYDRA.  _

_ After Barnes was taken into Iron Man’s custody and enrolled in special therapy away from the public eye, the Accords progressed slowly, with minimal public drama. Captain America signed a heavily amended version of the Accords, and it seemed that the tensions between him and his influential teammate had simmered down to nothing. But now it’s not so clear. _

_ It has long been speculated that things got personal between Cap and Iron Man before Barnes was successfully taken into custody and the assassination plot was thwarted. At the time, Tony Stark offering personalized experimental therapy was seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between friends. But could it have been a power move instead? Perhaps, an attempt to take Captain’s old friend away from him? _

Tony snorted and waved a hand in the air to signal to FRIDAY to stop reading. 

“Come on, FRIDAY, you know I don’t waste my time on gossip mags anymore. Skip to the need-to-know news.”

“Actually, Boss, this  _ is _ the big news today.”

“What? That can’t be right. I mean, sure, it’s funny because it’s me and everyone knows how much I like to put my name all over everything, but surely something more important happened. No word from Congress? No natural disasters? No budding social movements? No emerging threats that require Avengers attention? No hard-hitting investigative journalism? What about that whole military scandal Steve and Natasha have been working on, the one with that town that got destroyed? Manayapa, was it?”

“Yep, it was Manayapa,” Bucky mumbled. His face was pressed into Tony’s thigh, and his flesh arm was wrapped around his waist. His newly-attached Iron Man arm he held out to the side. The fingers curled, splayed, and bent in random patterns as he worked to get used to using the new hardware. 

“See, even the guy with no memories remembers it? Why is no one talking about that anymore?”

“The word from Congress is that the military is so freaked out by the idea of the Winter Soldier with an Iron Man suit piece that they want the government’s permission to detain both you and Sergeant Barnes as possible threats to national security. Social media is full of speculation that you and Captain Rogers are fighting, and that you are using Bucky to get back at him. You have also been accused of re-brainwashing him, being HYDRA, offering Iron Man suits to anyone who wants one, going insane, manipulating Captain Rogers, as well as of outright holding him under your thumb by threatening Sergeant Barnes. Every news agency in the country wants to speak with you,” Friday rambled off.

"Hey Friday, are any of the pictures of me any good?" Bucky piped up. He lifted his face a little bit so that Friday's microphone could pick him up, then immediately dropped it back into Tony's lap. 

"Several pictures and videos are trending on Twitter right now, Sergeant Barnes. The one currently attracting the most attention is of you accidentally turning on the repulsers and shooting your ice cream into yours and Boss's faces."

"To be fair, that was pretty funny once we washed up and changed out clothes."

Tony groaned and slumped. Bucky’s flesh arm was all that kept him from sliding off the couch all the way to the floor like a dramatic, sulky teenager. 

“Are you seriously telling me that there is  _ no real news _ right now?”

“If you wish, I could switch to non-English news, only half of which is about you.”

He sighed. “Any chance I can just wait until people get over it?”

“Ms. Potts has already scheduled the joint press conference on your and Captain Rogers’ behalf, Boss.”

“Ugh. Fine, but make sure there are some serious reporters there. I don’t think I could stand it if it was all tabloid writers. Has Steve seen this yet?” That would be great, if he could get Steve up there with him to corroborate what he said. Some people would never believe a word he said, of course, but at least this way there wouldn’t be a million and one  _ ‘but what about Captain America’s side of the story?’ _ speculation pieces.

“I drew his attention to it this morning, Boss. He is on his way to talk to you about how best to proceed with the press conference.”

“Wait, he’s doing it with me? Or does he just have some things he wants me to get on the record?”

“I believe he will be joining you, Boss.”

“Excellent. I love when I don’t have to face the lion’s den myself.”

Bucky’s flesh arm squeezed him in comfort. With the Iron Man arm he continued his finger exercises.

* * *

Tony walked out on stage and stared into the crowd of reporters, trying to find a familiar face. Someone who spent their time on actual journalism, not someone who just wanted to write the most controversial article title possible without actually writing anything controversial.

Then, as though a gleaming ray of light had hit upon her and lit her up, his eyes landed on Christine Everhart.

He hurriedly tapped Steve on the shoulder. 

“Follow my lead, okay? Talk to the reporters I talk to, and maybe this won’t be a huge waste of time,” he whispered as quietly as he could so only Steve could hear him. Steve looked confused, but nodded almost imperceptibly. 

Tony smiled, then turned to face the mob. Instantly a wave of shouted questions hit him like a physical attack. He let them shout it out for a few seconds, then waved for silence. 

“Hello, everyone. We have taken the liberty of holding a conference as recent events involving the Avengers have caused a stir. We will be here for the next hour to answer pertinent questions. Keep in mind the standard Avengers gossip policy when asking your questions, please. In case it needs to be reiterated, team members love lives, health advice, exercise regimen, or anything like that is not a serious question, and so is not permitted at this event.”

A roar of protest bubbled up, most of it some half-formed variation of ‘military interest in your relationship with Barnes makes it non-trivial.’ He held up his hands for silence, then pointed at Christine. 

“Ms. Everhart, go ahead.”

“According to official reports, you were both present at Manayapa during the military intervention, you in your official capacity as an avenger, Captain, and you, Mr. Stark, on an unrelated humanitarian mission?”

“That’s correct,” Steve nodded, effortlessly entering the conversation as if he’d been expecting this question all along. Tony could have hugged him. “We were given the green light by the UN minutes the day before the fighting broke out, and so were able investigate as the situation developed.”

“Excellent. Now, what can you tell me about the political climate leading up to the events of May 3rd?”

Tony felt the other reporters’ stares on him like a physical weight, which was part of what made it so fun to completely and totally disregard them. A few reporters turned to stare at Christine in open-mouthed horror. He could read the question in their eyes- was she really going to ask about some little Latin American town whose only claim to faim was briefly making international news over an outbreak of violence a week ago? More importantly, how long was she going to take? This conference was only supposed to be about twenty minutes to a half an hour. 

Tony grinned like a cheshire cat.

“Please elaborate on your question, Ms. Everhart, I’m sure we can answer you quite thoroughly,” he purred. 


End file.
